Cheeky neighbour or how would you handle this ???

No one has the right to put a gate into your land only yourself.

Would it lead to a right of way being claimed

If someone was using that gate for twenty years, I wouldn't buy a field with a used gate coming on to it.

Putting a gate is claiming acccess to the field and if they're not made take it down........ you just wouldn't know

What business did they have putting in a gate?

Dumping grass clippings from the ride-on mover? retrieving footballs? What size gate is it?

Worst case senario it could open up right of way claims in the future, someone could get hurt if cattle are in field etc.

I would do option 3, put up an fence outside their fence and leave it be, if the topic comes up it's to insure cattle dont knock the new fence down with scratching, and see how you go, if there's any mention of entering your land for any reason then that's to be declined obviously, if they are reasonable type of people try and not argue over it within reason, good neighbours are hard to come by, if they turn out to be arkward about it then put up a permanent fence and be done with it.

And none implied by virtue of having a gate. A gate is just a moveable part of a boundary, but it's part of the boundary. At least they have built a solid boundary at their own expense, though it would have been common courtesy to mention it. It's all a bit strange though, you're friendly with the father and his daughter and husband. But not with this other son of his and not really spoken to them since returning?? Guess there's a bit more to this?

Can't be having that kind of straight thinking on boards. Far too sensible and non escalatory but by far the best suggestion so far.

They could claim squatters rights to the field in 12 years? Like Pat Kenny did with his elderly Neighbours.

Also, you are in that area quiet often and you will return back - over the fence- any kite, ball, etc that u find on your side. Communication is the solution.

Get s con saw, cut a door for yourself in to the house.

Though Bogman Bass probably has the best path forward.

This is all a bit ridiculous! Surely anyone here who lives rural, with children and land adjacent that belongs to someone else often has a situation arising where a ball or frisbee or whatever lands over the ditch. You don't go around searching for the neighbour, you find the nearest gate or hop over the fence and retrieve it. This isn't creating any right of way. The legally minded might say there's an insurance issue but what sort of dick would sue a neighbour in this scenario. The gate here is part of the boundary, it doesn't mean anything other than it's a gate. If it's used to retrieve a sliotar, well & good, what's the problem? If it's used for other purposes, then time to query it.